Machine for topping and comminuting stalks.



T. M. FULBRIGHT.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING AND COMMINUTING STALKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1915.

a suns-sum l- 1 1D 6 F d e t n 6 LIJ a D1 Inventor Witnesses Attorneys ma COLUMBIA PLAglOunAPl-l (10.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

' T. M. FULBRIGHT.

MACHINE FOR TORPING AND COMMINUTING STALKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1915.

Patented Feb. 1,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 Witnesses Attorneys T. M. FULBFHGHT.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING AND COMMINUTING STALKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29,19I5. v

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Attorneys ll ATE PATENT F THOMAS M. FULBRIGHT, F RENTIESVILLE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-THIRD TO JOSEPH S. BRUMMEL AND ONE-THIRD TO FRANK WILLIAMS.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING AND GOMMINUTING STALKS.

Patented Feb. 1, rate.

Application filed April 29, 1915. Serial No. 2%,836.

To aZZte/iom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS M. FUL- nnrorrr, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Rentiesville, in the county of McIntosh and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Machine for Topping and Comminuting Stalks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for topping and comminuting stalks while standing in the field, one of the objects of the invention being to provide novel topping mechanism which can be quickly adjusted upwardly and downwardly, thus to adapt it for use in connection with stalks of different heights, such adjustment in no way interfering with the continuous operation of the cutting or topping mechanism.

A further object is to provide improved means for chopping the stalks, said means being so positioned as to insure the cutting of the stalks throughout the length thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3- is a vertical longitudinal section therethrough.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the lower frame of the machine on which are disposed standards 2 supporting the upper frame 3. The front portion of the machine is supported by casters 4- while the rear portion has a transverse axle 5 adapted to be rotated by the rear supporting wheels 6. Secured to that portion of the axle 5 within the frame 1 is a sleeve 7 having radial stripping orcutting arms 8 thereon, these arms traveling close to a transverse plate 9 which is supported under the axle 5 by end hangers 10. The front edge of plate 9 is preferably sharpened so that the plate thus constitutesa cutter for severing stalks close to the ground. Forwardly diverging knives 11 extend from the center of the front portion of the plate 9 and are supported at their front ends by hangers 12 depending from the frame 1.. The arms 8 Work between fingers 13 which hang from a cross bar 14; supported .upon the rear portion of the frame 1, these fingers extending close to the plate 9 back of the axle 5 and'having their front edges sharpened. Forwardly diverging gathering fingers 15 are supported in advance of the blades 11 by side strips 16 secured to the frame 1 and hangers 12.

Fivotally mounted upon the upper frame 3 1s a cross frame 17 on which is journaled a disk 18 having depending teeth 19. Ex-

tending forwardly from the cross frame 1 7 along lines radiating from the center of the disk 18 aregathermg fingers 20 formed with transverse slots 21 in the rear portions thereof and extending outwardly from the periphery of disk 18 are heading knives 22 adapted to travel through the slots 21 as the disk 18 revolves. A bar 23 is pivotally colinected to oneside of the frame 17 and the forward endv of this bar is adjustably connected to a bracket 24 extending upwardly from the front portion of the frame 17. The adjustment of bar 23 can be effected by removing a pin 25 therefrom and inserting it in any one of a series of apertures 26 formed in the bracket 24:. It is to be understood that one of these bars 23 is located at each side of frame 17, the two bars beingconnected by a cross strip 27 to which is secured a link 28. This link is pivotally connected to, an arm 29 extending from a transverse shaft 30 journaled in standards 31 upstandingfrom the side portions of the upper frame 3. A lever 32 is secured to one end portion of shaft 30 and its rear end is located adjacent the seat 33 to be occupied by the operator. Thus it will be seen that this lever can be readily moved upwardly or downwardly for. the purpose of swinging the transverse frame 17 upwardly or downwardly about its pivot 3%, thereby to raise or lower the fingers 20 and adapt the mechanism for use in connection with stalks of different heights. A rack 35 extends upwardly from a platform 36 which is erected on the top frame 3 and this rack is adapted to be engaged by lever 32, thus to hold said lever against accidental movement after thas once been shifted to a desired positlon.

fulcrumed on the platform 36 close to the The teeth 19mesh:with agear 37 secured to the front end portion of a longitudinalshaft38, the teeth on gear 37 being of con- 7 siderable length; so as. to-permit a longitudinal movement of shaft 38 and gear 37. This movement is eifected'by, means ofa lever 39 seat; 33 and; which Works. within acollar l having an annular groove therein as shown.

A gear ll is provided at the rear end of shaft 38 andis adapted to mesh w1th a. gear 42 secured to a transverse shafti43 having a spro cliret 44 at its, outer. end. By shifting l'ever 39 gear 41 can be moved into or out of n eslli with gear 42', thus to. control the 'op'eration of disk 18 and the topping blades carried thereby.

Journaled' in certain of the standards 2 between the sides of the upper andlower frames and 1', are longitudinal shafts each of whichhas a sleeve el'fi'revol'uble therewitlrand' provided' with series of radial stripping arms 47 having sharp advancing 1 edges. Each of these shafts is provided at its rear end with a bevel gear ld and these gears mesh with .bevel gears 19. secured to the end portions of a. transverse. shaft 50 jonmalea between the upper and lower 'frames 3 and 1 To. shaft is secured a sleeve 51having radial series of stripping blades 52 provided with sharp. advancing edges, the blades or arms 5'2"working in :planes at right angles to the planes of movement of the arms 41-7 and traveling close to "the paths of' said arms 47. A sprocket 53 is secured to one end oftheshaft 50 and an 'id-l'er sprocket 54 is adiustablv mounted, as M55, in advance ofthe sprocket 53. An other transverse shaft 56 is mounted between the lower frame 1 and the upper frame 3 and between the shafts 5 and 50, this shaft 56 having a sleeve 57 revolubl'e therewith and-from which extend radial series of stripping. arms or blades 58 having sharp advancingj edges. Asnrocket 59 is secured to one end of the, shaft 56.

As shown especially in Fig. 3 the shafts 5, 5.6 and 50 are disposed in a plane inclined upwardly and forwardly from the shaft 5] soth-at theblades radiat ng from the shafts will engage stalks at different elevations and thusinsure the comminution of for-shifti'ngthe clutch member (32; For example, a forked arm (33 may engage the clutchmember, this arm being located at the lowerv end of a. vertical shaft Get the upper end of which is provided with an actuating arm adapted to be held in either of two pcsitions by a bracket (36.

It is to be understood that the machine herein described may be propelled forward in any suitable manner. The machine is adapted to straddle a row of stalks and, as

itmoves forward with, sprocket 61 coupled to, therear axle5, motion will be transmitted from said sprccket to-the varioustransverse. shafts with, the result that the-various stripping, or cutting arms orblades. 17, 52, 58 and 8 will! be simultaneously rotated in the directions indicated by the. arrows in Figs...2 and 3. Furthermore the longitudinal shaft, 38 will be driven'by gears+l2 and llprovidedj said gears are in mesh. The actuation of shaft 38 willresult in the rotation of disk18 and the movement of the topping blades 22 through the. slots 21 in the gatheringfingers. 20., As the machine travels along a row of stalks, these stalks are gathered betweenthe fingers 2.0 and, while passmg between said fingers, are acted upon by the upwardly moving knives or fingers 17 to thus operate to. strip the. stalks. As the stalks approach/the disk 18; the knives or blades. 22; remove the tops, after which the standing stalks on leaving the paths of the blades 47. are. engaged by the rotating series of blades. or arms 52 and further cut.

'This cutting action is continued by the arms orv blades 58. and finally the lower portions of; the stalks are severed by the blades 11 and the front or cutti'ngedge of the plate 9,

whereupon the slit stalks are deposited on the plate 9. and cut up by the arms or blades '8 and the depending fingers 13, the comminuted stalks being discharged at the rear end f themse v lVhat is claimed is 1. In a machine of the class described,

the combination with a movably supported structure, a transverse cutter fixed relative thereto spaced depending fingers thereabove, and revoluble cutters above thetransverse cutter and cooperating. with the fingers of" a revolubleseries of cutting elements in front of and above the fixed transverse cutter and working in planes extending longitudinally of the structure, a second revoluble series of cutting elements in front ofand'above the fixed transverse cutter and working in substantially vertical planes'extending transversely of the structure, topping mechanism supported above saidcutters, and means for simultaneously actuating the topping mechanism and cutters during the forward movement of the structure.

A machine of the class described including a Wheel supported structure, a transverse cutter fixedly mounted thereunder and movable therewith, revoluble series of cutting elements Within said structure and disposed at different elevations, certain of said elements being supported above and close to the fixed cutter, side series of revoluble cutting members adjacent the front end thereof and Working in substantially vertical planes extending transversely of the structure, gathering fingers, a gear adjacent thereto, topping blades revoluble with the gear and through thefingers, means for rotating the gear, the gathering fingers and topping blades being located above the side series ofrevoluble cutting members, means for adjusting the gathering fingers and top- 7 pingblades angularly during the actuation THOMAS M. FULBRIGHT.

Witnesses:

HERMAN BRUMMEL, J. H. GUNDLAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent-w Washington, D. C. 

